Crabapple tree named &#39;Jarmin&#39;

ABSTRACT

The ‘Jarmin’ crabapple is a non-fruiting crabapple tree, with an upright growth habit, attractive pink bloom with semi-double and double flowers being typical, and foliage resistant to both apple scab (/ Venturia inaequalis ) and powdery mildew ( Podosphaera leucotricha ).

BACKGROUND

[0001] The present invention relates to a new and distinct variety ofcrabapple (Malus sylvestris, Mill.) which I have named ‘Jarmin’, whichgrew from a seedling of unknown parentage and was found in cultivatedarea in Puyallup, Washington. The seed which resulted in this seedlingwas planted in approximately 1978. The original tree was transplanted tomy residence in Mount Vernon, Washington in 1982 and has remained in thesame location since that time (approximately 19 years).

[0002] The first asexual propagation of this new variety occurred in1995, when two experimental trees were propagated by grafting buds onM26 rootstock in Mount Vernon, Washington and subsequently were plantedin a block of 45 crabapple varieties at the Washington State UniversityResearch Unit, Mount Vernon, Washington. These trees have flowered fourtimes since planting, which confirmed that their growth habits andflowering characteristics were identical to those of the original tree.Subsequently, in 1998, approximately an additional 100 buds were graftedon seedling rootstock in Mount Vernon, Washington. These trees floweredin the nursery row in the second season (FIG. 4) and were identical tothe original tree.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0003]FIG. 1 is a photograph of the original tree in fill bloom on aboutApr. 26, 2001 in Mt. Vernon, Wash.

[0004]FIG. 2 is a photograph of the trunk and bark of original tree andwas taken about Apr. 20, 2001. This photograph shows vertical crackingof the mature bark.

[0005]FIG. 3 is a photograph of foliage of the ‘Jarmin’ crabapple inmidseason (June 2001). No evidence of disease infestation has beenobserved though no fungicides have ever been applied to thisphotographed tree.

[0006]FIG. 4 is a photograph of ‘Jarmin’ crabapple trees which weregrafted in 1998 and was taken in the spring of 2001. This photographshows the precocious flowering habit and uniformity in growth habit ofthe new tree.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0007] The detailed description that follows is based on observations ofthe original trees and progeny thereof located at several locations inMount Vernon, Wash. All of these sites are within five miles of eachother in the alluvial plain of Skagit Valley, in western Washingtonstate. This area has a coastal climate characterized by cool, drysummers and mild, rainy winters, and an annual rainfall of 32 inches.The performance of this new variety in other areas with a more severeclimate or lacking in winter chilling is not known.

[0008] Color descriptions (hue/value/chroma) are from the Munsell Bookof Color, Kollmorgen Instruments Corp., 405 Little Britain Road, NewWinsor, N.Y. 12553. Color would vary with lighting conditions underwhich photographs are taken and is also expected to vary somewhat underdifferent growing conditions.

THE PLANT

[0009] Tree

[0010]Parentage.—Original tree is a seedling of unknown parentage whichgrew from seed planted in a cultivated area in Puyallup, Wash.

[0011]Tree Size.—Medium, height of original seedling tree at 19 years 7to 8 m, width 2 to 3 m.

[0012]Vigor.—Low, average seasonal growth over 19 years approximately 20cm.

[0013]Chilling requirements.—Unknown.

[0014]Productivity.—Prolific, precocious flowering; total absence offruit, although flowers have both stamen and pistil.

[0015] Trunk

[0016]Size and Texture.—Original tree stocky, approximately 52 cm indiameter at 0.5 m from ground line at 19 years. Texture smooth, withdeep vertical furrows at approximately 4 cm intervals (FIG. 2).

[0017]Color.—Mature bark color 7.5 YR 3/4 (reddish-brown) to grey-brown2.5Y 5/4.

[0018] Branches

[0019]Habit.—Distinctly upright, heavily spurred, stout. Two year oldbranches growing in Mount Vernon, Washington were about 20 mm indiameter. Branches angle at emergence from main trunk typically 30degrees or less from the vertical. The overall habit of the tree iscolumnar to inverted pyramidal (FIG. 1), unlike typical crabapple trees,which are usually round-headed or spreading.

[0020]Size and Texture.—Branches typically heavy caliper in relation tolength; smooth texture. For example, 2 year old branches in some sampleswere 52 cm in length and 20 mm in diameter.

[0021]Color.—Bark color of one-year dominant shoot—7.5 R 3/4(reddish-brown); two-year old branch—7.5 R 4/2 (grey-brown).

[0022]Pubescence.—Glabrous, except at branch tips. Branch tips have finehair which is colorless.

[0023]Lenticels.—One-year wood-almost lacking lenticels, extremely small(<0.2 mm); more numerous on two-year wood; still inconspicuous, with adensity of less than 4 per sq. cm., almost colorless.

[0024] Leaves

[0025]Size.—Medium, leaf blade length 6.1 cm, width 3.2 cm, petiole 2.8cm (average of 10 leaves); measured at Mount Vernon, Washington, May2001.

[0026]Form.—Long, oblong.

[0027]Color.—Upwardly disposed surface: 5 GY 4/6 Downwardly disposedsurface: 5 GY 5/6 Vein: 2.5 GY 7/6

[0028]Marginal.—

[0029]Form.—Finely crenate.

[0030]Tip.—Obtuse (100 degrees) to acute (60 degrees).

[0031]Stipules.—Mostly lacking; where found (less than 10% of leaves),they are small, approximately 6 mm in length, 0.5 mm in width.

[0032]Pubescence.—Upper surface-very sparse pubescence along primaryveins; color 2.5 GY 9/4. Lower surface-almost glabrous except alongmidrib and primary veins; Lower surface pubescence appears colorless.Petiole has very fine, colorless pubescence along its entire length.

[0033] Petiole: Medium to stout, 30.5 mm long and 2 mm in diameter(average of 10 leaves), measured at Mount Vernon, Washington, October2001. Color of petiole 2.5 GY 7/6.

[0034] Flowers

[0035]Time of Bloom.—2001, at Mount Vernon, Washington: First BloomApril 18 Second Bloom April 28 Petal Fall May 28 This is consideredmid-season blooming, and corresponded with bloom period of ‘Jonagold’(not patented), ‘Gala’ (U.S. Plant Pat. 3637 (Expired)), ‘Braeburn’ (notpatented) apples and ‘Snowdrift’ (not patented) crabapple.

[0036]Bloom.—

[0037]Description.—Flowers generally in clusters of 5 to 8 flowers perspur or peduncle. Individual flowers are up to 45 mm in diameter whenfully open. Flower have from 5-10 petals, average of 8 petals.

[0038] Buds:

[0039]Size.—In popcorn stage, buds vary in size with their development(FIG. 4); When mature in Mount Vernon, Washington, a typical bud hasbeen observed in 2001 to be about 25 mm long by 20 mm in diameter atwidest part immediately prior to opening; color 2.5 R 5/6 (pinkish-red).

[0040] Open Flowers:

[0041]Size.—Individual petals widely variable in size and shape, asampling of petals observed in Mount Vernon, Washington, in April of2001, averaged 25 mm in length, 15 mm in width and were generally ovalin shape; sometimes attached on a long stalk or claw up to 10 mm inlength. Individual flowers in a sampling at the same location wereobserved to be up to 45 mm in diameter when fully open. The flowers ofthis variety are distinct from almost all fruiting apple varieties andfrom most crabapple varieties in that they typically have semi-doubleflowers with 5 primary petals and 5 somewhat smaller inside petals. In aWashington State University trial of 45 crabapple varieties, only one,‘Pink Cloud’ (not patented) had double flowers. Other characteristics,however, e.g., round tree shape and flower of color ‘Pink Cloud’,clearly distinguished the new variety from ‘Pink Cloud’ any other thatwas in the trial.

[0042]Surface.—

[0043]Texture.—Smooth.

[0044]Color.—Upper surface pure white when fully open, with occasionalstreaks of pink (2.5 R 7/6). Stamens approximately 30 in number, inrandom arrangement; anthers bright yellow (2.5 Y 8.5/12). Pistil: styles5 to 8 in number, typical length in one observation 7 mm, fused at base;stigma medium length, rounded at top. Sepals, in one observation,typically 10 mm in length, 4 mm in width, dull green (2.5 GY 5/8), withfine, colorless pubescence.

[0045]Bloom.—

[0046]Fragrance.—Light.

[0047]Showiness.—Highly showy as bright pink buds open to typicalsemi-double to double white flowers.

[0048]Fertility.—Self sterile, but capable of setting fruit on otherapple varieties. Actual crosses were made with emasculated flowers of‘Jonagold’, ‘Braeburn’, and ‘McIntosh’, resulting in fertilization andfruit set.

[0049]Pollen.—

[0050]Production.—Heavy, due to prolific annual blooming habit.

[0051]Hardiness.—Since this seedling originated in western Washington,an area lacking in extremes of temperature, the maximum hardiness is notknown. Lowest temperature in the area was—14.4 degrees C (6 degrees F)in 1992. No injury to flower or tree was sustained that year.

[0052]Disease and insect resistance/ susceptibility.—This variety, in sofar as has been observed, is apparently highly resistant, if not immune,to apple scab (Venturia inaequalis). No scab infection has been observedover 19 years on the original tree and on the second-generation treesplanted at the WSU Research Unit. No fungicide control was applied toany of these trees. The new variety also appears resistant to powderymildew. No confirmed infection has been noted over the past 5 years ofobservation at the WSU Research Unit in Mount Vernon, Wash.

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct variety of crabapple tree named ‘Jarmin’substantially as shown and described herein and characterized by thefollowing combination of characteristics: non-fruiting, upright growthhabit, resistance to apple scab and powdery mildew, attractive andprolific flowering habit.